Printing device



c. D. LAKE 1,994,524

PRINTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1952 e Sheets-Sheet 2 I ATTORNEY March 19, 1935. c. D. LAKE 1,994,524

PRINTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1932 s Sheets-Sheet 5 FIGS;

6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 29, 1952 minim 55 Makh 19, 193 5. 7 c. D. LAKE PRINTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1932 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 '79 76 $4M BY 1 ATTORNEY March 19, 1935.

C. D. LAKE PRINTING DEVICE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 CHAIN GROCERY COMPANV COLUMBUS OHIO CODE NU. CLASSIFICATIUN RECEIPTS SHIPMENTS 73| CHEESE 1407.65 180752 914 BEVERAGES 2566,48 2493.46 I022 FRUITS i031 28 l 6|8.23 I I O6 EXTRACTS 5429.17 5127.74

l I 27 CANDY 640.06 822.83 I 230 TOBACCO 2 I32J2 2091,17

I320 6.76 |39GL3I CODE NO. CLASSIFICN'ION RCCDPT5 SHIPMENTS nnnn l1 UUUUOUUU UUQUUIJDOUUUUUOUUOUUUUU IJUOUIJDUUUUUUD n n n 2 n n z! a u 11 3| 4 n 4 s an n u 5 s u e 7 n n n 5 l1 II D 5 3933339 8353353959595335539559535553355355955 CUAIN EROCERY COMPANY COLUMBUS OHIO R 11mm 11 m1 I] u an !]R x 11 nn 1] Mn u an n n n x 0 n n n nn 0 l \1 I] I 2 11 n z 311 n n M a U1 ll nun 4 cm: n n I] 5 Es u n n n n s 7 I] I] 7 ma n n [1 I] 8 9 11 n n n s mv TOR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 19, 1935 V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRINTING DEVICE Application September 29, 1932, Serial No. 635,326

6 Claims.

This invention concerns a printing mechanism for accounting machines in which a plurality of conjointly operable type carriers, each provided with a number of corresponding type, are cyclically movable to different printing positions and in which it is desired at times to automatically suppress printing by a particular type on the carriers. While the invention is not limited to such a use, it finds particular adaptation in properly 1'.) suppressing zero printing in printing tabulators and will be described in connection with such a machine of the Hollerith type. Such machines have usually been provided with zero suppression mechanism settable in accordance with the ar- 13 rangement of data on record cards and each record card fed through the machine for control of the printing mechanism had the same arrangement of data thereon.

Frequently it is desirable to prepare a printed record from a series of record cards in which the arrangement of data is not alike for each card. It therefore becomes necessary to so organize the zero suppression mechanism that the suppression of zeros will take place in the proper positions in accordance with the varied arrangement of data on the record cards. The machines are electrically controlled by perforated record cards on which data are represented by the location of perforations in the cards. One form of record card usually employed to control the operation of the machine may be what will hereinafter be termed a detail card in which the greater part of the data perforated thereon is in numerical form. These cards are divided into columns and index points, the commonest arrangement consisting of ten index points representing the digits for each column. Printing may be required either oi the items as directly entered on the record cards or of a total of several items. In the latter case the several items must first be entered into the accumulating section of the machine and the printing controlled by theamounts standing in the accumulators. Difierent controls are naturally provided for these two printing operations but the physical operation of the printing mechanism proper is the same in either case.

Another form of record card may be what will be termed an address card in which perfora-.

tions are made in accordance with a combinational hole system to indicate alphabetical information. The combinational perforations usually consist of two perforations in a single column in diiferent index point positions. A type of tabulator adapted to prepare a printed record under control of such types of alphabetical record cards is fully shown and described in the copending application of C. D. Lake, Serial No. 635,325, filed September 29, 1932 and in connection with which the present invention finds particular utility.

The printing mechanism consists of a plurality of type carriers, usually one for each card column, each of which carries a type corresponding to each index point of the columns. If the card index points represent the digits, then each type carrier will be provided with type representing these figures and the carriers will be automatically moved by the machine in synchronism with the movement of the detail cards past the analyzing mechanism in listing operations to bring the proper type successively into printing posi-.

tion as the machine passes through the corre-' sponding index point position. When a type bar is to print a particular numeral, one of the printing controls operates as the machine passes the proper index point to arrest the type carrier which thereupon remains with its corresponding type in printing position until the end of a cycle when a hammer strikes all type which are in any printing position and effects printing of the required item.

In printing totals, the type carriers also move in synchronism with the total taking mechanism so that, as any number standing on an accumulator is selected for totaling, its corresponding type will be passing through printing position and. will be arrested in this position until towards the end of the printing cycle when, as before, it is struck by its hammer to efiect printing.

For alphabetical printing, the type bar is provided with additional characters representative .of the letters of the alphabet and under control of the combinational perforations, a particular alphabetical character on the type bar will be presented to printing position. The manner in which the numerals and the letters of the alphabet are selected for printing, fully shown and described in the above mentioned application, forms no part of the present invention and accordingly will not be described in detail in this application.

It is the custom, when punching record cards for these machines, to place a perforation in each card column in which numerals are perforated to minimize the risk of inadvertently omitting a significant figure and any column in which no significant figure or digit occurs is punched in the zero position. These zero perforations occur to the left of the first significant figure of a number as well as to the right of it but in printing numbers consisting of several different denominational orders, it is desirable to suppress the printing of all zeros to the left of the first significant figure while permitting the printing of zeros to the right of this figure regardless of their position with respect to any other figure of the number. The control of zero printing is therefore usually removed from the main printing controls of the machine entirely and placed under a separate system depending for its selection of a zero type in any column, on the printing of a digit in some column to the left of it, thus automatically preventing zero printing in all columns to the left of the first significant figure.

It is the main object of the present invention to provide mechanism for disabling the zero suppression and control mechanism while printing is being eifected under control of address cards so that the setup of the mechanism for printing numerals will not cause the printing of undesirable zeros together with the alphabetical characters.

A further object of the invention is to provide duplicate sets of zero suppression devices each of which may be preliminarily adjusted in accordance with the desired location of zero printing and to provide mechanism for calling either of the mechanisms into operation in accordance with the arrangement of control desired.

A further object is to provide record controlled means for automatically calling into operation the desired zero suppression setup mechanism.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious from the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying the invention or from an inspection of the accompanying drawings; and the invention also constitutes certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a central section through the printing mechanism of an alphabetical tabulating machine, showing the location of the zero suppression mechanism with respect to the printing type carriers.

Fig. 2 is a partial front elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the selecting mechanism for selecting one of the zero suppression control devices.

Fig. 4 is a detail of a locating device for the selecting mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 66 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a detail position view of a zero suppression pawl shown in cooperation with a type carrier.

Fig. 8 is a further position view of the .parts shown in Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 is also a further position view of the parts shown in Fig. '7.

Fig. 10 is an isometric view of a number of related suppression pawls.

Fig. 11 is a detail of a record which is capable of preparation under control of the mechanisms of the invention.

Fig. 12 is a view of a detail or numerical card used to control the operation of the machine.

Fig. 13 is a view of an address card used to control the operation of the machine.

Referring to Fig. 1, the type carrier 10 is shown as being mounted in the frame of the machine for suitable vertical reciprocation. A

box cam 11 mounted upon the main drive shaft 12 of the machine is adapted to cooperate with a follower roller 13 carried by a lever structure 14 pivoted at 15 and which carries a link 16 at its free end. The lower end of link 16 has connection with a bail 17 pivoted at 18. Also pivoted at 18 is an arm 19 urged in a clockwise direction by a spring 20 which is secured at its upper end to a bar 21 carried by link 16. The

free end of arm 19 has connection with the lower end of the carrier 10 through a link 22. As the cam 11 rotates in a clockwise direction, link 16 will be elevated and cause bail 1'7 to rock in a clockwise direction, the springs 20 causing the arms 19 to move similarly and elevate the carriers 10 to cause the type elements 23 to successively pass printing position opposite the printing platen 24. Energization of the magnet 25, as the carrier is moving upwardly, will cause tripping of a stop pawl 26 into engagement with one of the projections 27 carried by the carrier 10 to interrupt further upward movement of the carrier and stop the same in position to print one of the digits.

For printing alphabetical characters, magnet 25 is operated a second time and through suitable mechanism (not shown) a stopping pawl 28 is tripped into engagement with projections 29 carried by the carrier 10. Pawl 28 is carried by a cross bar 30 which is mounted for vertical reciprocation and tripping of the pawl takes place as the bar 30 is moving downwardly, thus causing retrograde movement of .the carrier for the purpose of selecting an alphabetical character for printing.

The detailed manner in which the selection of digits and alphabetical characters is effected forms no part of the present invention and reference may be had to the aforementioned application for further explanation of these operations.

Each carrier 10 has integral therewith a stop 31 which is adapted to cooperate with a zero pawl 32 in such manner that if the type bar is not selected for printing, either a significant figaccordingly as it is desired to print or suppress the printing of a zero in this position.

The invention may be more clearly understood in connection with Fig. 11 which shows a record in which the first line is printed under control of a so-called address card (Fig. 13) and in which the first lines dealing with numerical quantities are printed under control of separate cards as in Fig. 12 and the last line is a total printed under control of the accumulators of the machine. With particular reference to the first line printed under control of a detail card which may be the specific card of Fig. 12 perforated as shown, the zero pawls may be adjusted so that the zeros perforated in the record card to the left of the first significant figure in the columns headed Receipts and Shipments will not be printed and the zero following the 4 in one column and following the first 8 in the other column will be printed under control of the significant figures to their left.

It will be apparent that with the zero pawl mechanism adjusted to cause zero printing for such an arrangement, zeros would invariably be filled in to the right whenever printing of a significant figure or character takes place from any carrier in these two fields so that when printing takes 'place on the first line under control of an address card, the tendency of'the zero printing mechanism would be to print zeros in the record columns between "Company" and "Columbus and also in the column between "Columbus and "Ohio. This result is obviated by the provision of mechanism for removing the zero pawl mechanism from cooperation with the type carriers while they are employed to print data under control of an address card. The address card itself may contain some numerical data for which zero suppression mechanism may be required. To this end a second duplicate set of zero suppression devices is provided which will be moved into cooperation with the type carriers when the first set is moved out of coopera-, tion and the individual stopping pawls on the second set may be adjusted in accordance with the desired arrangement of zero printing under control of the address card.

The two separate sets of zero pawls 32 are carried by a drum structure generally designed 33 in Fig. 1 and the sets of pawls are disposed 120 degrees apart, the one set being normally in operative position as shown. The mechanism for bringing the second set into operative position will now be explained in detail.

Referring to Fig. 13, the address card is provided with a special perforation 34 punched in the "R" index point position of a selected column of the card. As the-card is fed through the usual analyzing mechanism of the machine the perforation 34' is sensed by a sensing brush 35 shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3. A circuit will thereupon be completed from one side of source S, through wire 36, common contact roller 3'7, perforation 34, brush 35, cam contacts 39, relay coil 38, to other side of source S.

Contacts 39 are controlled by a suitable cam which may be carried by the main shaft 12 of the machine and are adapted to close when the R index point position is at the brush 35. Energization of coil 38 will close its points 38a and 38b, the former establishing a holding circuit from left side of source S, through wire 40,

cam contacts 40a, points 38a, coil 38, to right side of source and the latter completing a circuit from left side of source S, through wire 41, points 38b, magnet 42, cam contacts 43, to right side of source S. This circuit is completed upon closure contacts 43 which are timed to close later inthe operation of the machine and before contacts 40a open to drop the holding circuit through the coil 38.

Referring now to Fig. l, the link 16 has a link 44 connected thereto at 45, the other end of the link being connected to the free end of an arm 46 which is pivoted at 4'7 (see also Fig. 3) and which has integral therewith a toothed sector 48. As link 16 is elevated to raise. the type carriers 10, arm 46 will be rocked in a counterclockwise direction and sector 48 will cause clockwise rotation of a gear 49 with which it is in engagement. The gear 49 has secured thereto a clutch driving member 50 (see also Fig. 6) so that rocking of the sector 48 will cause clockwise rotation of the gear 49 to swing the clutch member 50 from the full line position it occupies in Fig. 3 to its dotted line position. Energization of magnet 42, while the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3, will rock armature 51 about pivot 52 and cause latching arm 53 to release a dog 54 and the free end of an arm 55 upon which the dog 54 is pivoted. A spring 56 will thereupon rock the dog 54 into engagement with the driving member 50 and the tooth of the dog will drop into the notch of member 50 when the latter arrives opposite the tooth thereby causing the dog and arm 55 to be driven in a clockwise direction by the member 50 and then back again to the position of Fig. 3 wherein deenergization of magnet 42 will have permittd latching pawl 53 to move into the path of the dog 54 to disengage it from the driving member 50.

Integral with arm 55 (see also Fig. 6) is a sector '7 to which is secured a locking plate 58. Sector 5'7 is adapted to drive a toothed disk 59 which has associated therewith a locking plate 60 which is adapted to cooperate with the looking plate 58 on the sector 57. Thus, as the arm 55 is rocked through the limit of its movement, the sector 5'7 will be operated to drive the disk 59 through substantially 120 degrees to rock the one set of zero pawls 32 out of cooperation with the type bars and move the second set into the position previously occupied by the first set. Return of the clutch mechanisms to normal position will, of course, be accompanied by the return of the sets of pawls to their normal positions.

The toothed disk 59 and locking plate 60 are secured to shaft 61 which has also secured thereto at its opposite end (Fig. 2) a member 62 (see also Fig. 5). Member 62 has adjustably connected thereto an arm 63 provided with an opening which is adapted to receive the end of a shouldered, spring-pressed plunger 64 (see Fig. 2) which is slidably mounted within cross bar 65. Extending from the plunger is a pin 66 which rides within a bayonet slot 6'7 in the bar 65 so that the pin may be moved toward the left as viewed in Fig. 2 and then depressed to cause the plunger 64 to be maintained out of cooperationwith the arm 63. In this position the drum 33 is disconnected from driving engagement with the shaft 61 and may be rotated by the operator to bring the sets of zero pawls toward the front of the machine for purposes of setting and adjustment.

The drum 33 comprises end disks 68 and connecting cross bar 65 and cross bars 69 (see Fig. 1) the latterof which serve to carry the zero pawls 32. A spring-pressed plunger '70 (Fig. 4) supported in the frame of the machine is normally positioned as shown, a pin '71 serving to hold the plunger in such position.

In Fig. 5 the location of the plunger '70 with respect to the shaft 61 is shown in dotted outline. The disk 68 adjacent to the plunger '70 is provided with openings '72, which, when'the drum after disconnection from shaft 61, is rocked by the operator, will cooperate with the plunger '70 which may be then turned to bring pin '71 into alinement with an opening '73 thus permitting the plunger '70 to enter the opening 72. The openings 72 are so located that when they are in alinement with plunger '70 the zero pawl setting devices will be readily accessible to the operator.

Each zero pawl 32 is pivoted upon a member '74 (see also Fig. '7) and is normally urged by a spring 75 in a counterclockwise direction. Member '74 is pivoted on a rod 76 and'is providedwith notches '77 which are adapted to cooperate with a latching bar '78 which is pivoted at 79 to the cross member 69. The latching bar 78 may be rocked out of engagement with the teeth '77 so that the members '74 may be adjusted.

Referring to Fig. 5, a toggle mechanism comprising a link 80 pivoted at 81 on bar 69 has connection' with a bell crank 82 pivoted at 83 at the end of latching bar 78. A cross bar 84 secured between the end disks 68 has screws 85 threaded therein which serve to hold the latching bar 78 in engagement with the notches 7'7. Retraction of screws 85 will permit the operator to rock bell crank 82 to straighten the toggle which will cause the latching bar '18 to rock sufficiently to free the member 74 which may then be located in one of its three positions. When the individual setting of the members 74 has been completed, the toggle is again broken and the bar '18 secured in looking position by tightening of the screws 85.

The manner in which the pawls 32 cooperate with each other and with the type carriers 10 to control the printing of zeros will now be explained. Each pawl 32 is provided with a lateral extension86 (see Fig. 10) which projects into the plane of the pawl 32 of next higher order as shown in Fig. 10. If the free ends of pawls 32 are permitted to fall into a recess or slot 87 formed between the stop 31 and the type carrier, the carrier will move to.a position beyond the zero printing position. Should the pawl 32 be held out so that its'end does not pass into the recess 87, its free end will be in the path of stop 31 and the carrier 10 will move to a point where the zero type element 23 is presented to the printing position. This position of the parts is shown in Fig. 8.

The cooperative function of the various parts may best be explained in connection with a specific example. For instance, in Fig. 10, the group of pawls associated with the columns of the record card in which Receipts" are printed are shown in their relative positions for the control of zeros in this field up to but not beyond the units position; that is, all the pawls will be in their lowermost position, this being the position shown in Fig. '7. The pawl to the right of the units order is in the mid or split position, this being the position shown in Fig. 9. The adjustment of this pawl will prevent the carrying of zeros into the columns toward the right of the Receipt field. During the analysis of the record card, the various type bars will be positioned in accordance with the significant figures indicated below the pawls in Fig. 10; that is, the highest order type bar will position the 1 type element for printing and the edge 10a of the type bar will hold its pawl 32 outwardly in the path of the stop 31- and by virtue of its cooperation with tht projection 86 of the next lower order pawl, the latter will also be held in such position and so on down to the units position, each lower order pawl 32 being held out by the pawl 32 adjacent thereto on the left.

The pawl 32 farthest to the right, however, having been positioned one step upwardly so that its projection is out of cooperation with the adjoining pawl will not be prevented from rocking clockwise and since its type bar is not interrupted in its upward movement under control of the record card, this pawl will move into the recess 87 permitting the type carrier to move to blank or non-printing position as exemplified in Fig. 7.

It will be observed that the bar which printed zero was not positioned under control of the record card but was so located under control of the adiacent pawl'32 whose bar was positioned to print the numeral 4.

Indicated beneath the numerical data which is controlled from the positions shown in Fig. 10 are the alphabetical characters which are to be printed under control of the address card of Fig. 13

and it will be apparent that with the pawls 32 adjusted as shown, zeros would be printed in the columns between Y" and C since the pawl 32 associated with the bar which prints the Y" would hold the adjacent pawls 32 on the right in zero printing position. It is for this reason that it is necessary to move the set of pawls 32,

which are set for numerical conditions, out of en-- gagement with the type bars during the printing under control of the address card. This, as has been explained above, is eifected under control of the special perforation 34 in the address card and the swinging of the second set of pawls into position will permitthe printing of zeros in columns controlled by the address card if the address card contains numerical data in any of its column. For instance the address card in Fig. 30 instead of containing only alphabetical data as shown in Fig. 13 might be arranged to contain a numerical designation in place of the name of the grocery company and the address may have included a house and street number.

A third or uppermost position is provided for each of the pawls 32 which is obtained by rocking the member 74 so that the notch 77 farthest to the left is in cooperation with the latching bar 78. In this position the pawl 32 is in its inoperative position, being positioned beyond the range of the stop 31 of the carrier 10. This is the position in which all pawls 32 associated with carwhich may be set to control numerical printing.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of type carriers, a positioning mechanism therefor, adapted to control the positioning of the carriers to select zeros for printing, a second settable positioning mechanism also adapted to control the positioning of the carriers to select zeros for printing and means for bringing either of said mechanisms into cooperative relationship with said carriers for control thereby.

2. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of type carriers, a positioning mechanism normally in engagement therewith and settable to effect a predetermined positioning of said carriers, record analyzing means, a second settable positioning mechanism and means controlled by said analyzing means for moving said first named positioning mechanism out of engagement with said carriers and for concurrently moving said second positioning mechanism into engagement with said carriers.

3. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of type carriers having type thereon representative of the digits, a positioning mechanism normally in cooperation with said carriers and settable to control the positioning of said carriers to select zeros for printing, record analyzing means and means controlled thereby to cause Ill) with said carriers.

record analyzing means and means controlled thereby for rendering said first named means ineffective for certain records analyzed.

6. In a machine of the class described having means for analyzing different kinds of records, a zero printing control mechanism for each kind or record, settable in accordance with the zero printing requirements of its related record, and means for bringing into operation the mechanism related to the record being analyzed.

CLAIR D. LAKE. 

